Sodwana Bay
South Africa · KwaZulu-Natal
Sodwana Bay in iSimangaliso Wetland Park is South Africa's reef diving capital — a chain of named reefs (2-Mile, 5-Mile, 7-Mile, 9-Mile) accessed by surf launch, with healthy coral, manta encounters, and the occasional coelacanth at depth.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Subtropical reef, world's southernmost coral. Cover relatively stable; whale shark season Dec–Mar.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
No unusual heat right now.
Fishing
Quiet water, and the protection is actively patrolled.
Sources · GCRMN reef surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 33% to 27%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 33% |
| 2024 | 27% |
What you will see
18 species across the dive sites here
Reef manta ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Five-Mile Reef
Vulnerable
Honeycomb moray
Seen 1 month ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Laced Moray
Seen 1 month ago
at Five-Mile Reef
Least concern
Loggerhead turtle
Seen 1 month ago
at Quarter Mile Reef
Vulnerable
Bluespotted Fantail Ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Potato bass
Seen 3 months ago
at Five-Mile Reef
Least concern
Green turtle
Seen 3 months ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Paperfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Redlip Parrotfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Allard'S Anemonefish
Seen 4 months ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Ragged tooth shark
Seen 4 months ago
at Quarter Mile Reef
Critically endangered
Emperor Angelfish
Seen 5 months ago
at Two-Mile Reef
Least concern
Honeycomb stingray
Seen 5 months ago
at Quarter Mile Reef
Endangered
Two-bar bream
Seen 6 months ago
at Quarter Mile Reef
Least concern
Bigeye kingfish
Seen year round
at Quarter Mile Reef
Least concern
Eagle ray
Seen year round
at Five-Mile Reef
Endangered
Giant guitarfish
Seen year round
at Quarter Mile Reef
Critically endangered
Whale shark
Seasonal visitor
at Two-Mile Reef
Endangered
Dive sites
What divers say
Surf launches at dawn, four dives a day, kudu walking past camp at night — Sodwana is its own ecosystem.
Good to know
Park fees
iSimangaliso daily conservation fee.